General Club News - Archive

Koli For The Kup? (8/4/03)

It's always nice when overseas players who've played for us keep in touch with the club, and it was particularly pleasant when Allan Munro passed on the following from the gentle giant that is Koli Latailakepa on the eve of the Club Dinner:

"Hello there, Allan.

"I hope things are going well for the club. Things are going really well for me here; I've just been to Korea with the Tongan national side to attend their training camp, which was a huge surprise for me, but I'm also on the verge of making the World Cup team to be finalised at the end of May! The squad will tour here in New Zealand, then I'll hopefully make the final cut for the team to play in the World Cup in Australia this year.

"As a result this, I have a personal trainer, who's getting me ready for the year ahead. I'm training every morning and also after work - at least it's not cold in the morning when I go for my 12 km run!

"Thanks to you, Macca, Benzo and the team for a great year, and I hope that you have a good night this Saturday. Thanks to the ladies behind the bar, too ....

"I'm also hoping that you can send clearance for me to play for the club again. Thanks again for a great year.

Koli."

The club's answer to Statto off 'Fantasy Football', Riggers, is, by his own admission, a spreadsheet addict, as the stats he lovingly compiles through the course of each season demonstrate. But now, in one fell swoop, he's easily eclipsed the Scorers and Appearances tables that we've grown accustomed to. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you:

The Number and Type of Injuries Requiring Physiotherapy Intervention at Stewart's Melville FPRFC, Period August 2002 to March 2003

Phew, what a scorcher, eh? On a serious note, Gordon has also asked me to pass on the club's thanks to our physios, Linda Mann and Sue Porteous, who, as will be all too apparent from the stats, have been kept busy with the squad's ailments over the past season. Thanks are also due to Doctors Beattie, MacGregor and Thomson for their presence at Inverleith on Saturdays during the season - it's a comfort to know that medical experts are present should anything untoward happen.

Lions triumph at Pennypit (13/4/03)

Ken Sharp's sevens squad lifted their first silverware of the season in their first outing of the season yesterday when they won the Preston Lodge tournament. After beating Dalziel and holders Murrayfield Wanderers in their opening matches, they came from behind to beat Berwick in the semi final then thumped a very physical Ross High side in the final.

The core squad consisted of Sky Laurie, Ally Maclay, Stuart Clark, Andrew Fraser, Marc Karapanovic, Chris Bissett and Gav Sharp, with Jamie Stevenson, Nicky Wood and Euan Clark assisting as required from the bench. Mention should also be made of a chap called Rick from the Murrayfield Wanderers squad who replaced Stuart Clark after he was injured, then went on to appear for us in the semi and the final. In a really nice gesture, Sky presented Rick with his winner's medal, reasoning that he already has more than enough Sevens related silverware to his credit.

I gather a couple of chilled bottles of champers were waiting for the Sevens party on their return to Inverleith - they certainly deserved them, as it's been a while (how long, Yoss?) since we picked up winning Sevens silverware. Well done to Ken and all of his players.

Shiely Stays Put (23/5/03)

The strength of Graham Shiel's commitment to the Lions was underlined earlier this week when he turned down the chance to adopt a coaching role at Melrose. Craig Chalmers had been named as the new Melrose head coach last week, but the news broke on Tuesday that he would not, in fact, be returning to the Greenyards due to work and family commitments. Melrose then offered Graham the job, but he confirmed that he is fully committed to Stew Mel.

This is actually the second time that Melrose have approached Graham, as both he and Craig had indicated that they were willing to succeed Gary Parker after his four years in charge. Chalmers verbally agreed, and, with no coaching involvement then on offer at the Greenyards, Graham agreed to become our player-coach for next season.

Quoted in the 'Scotsman', Graham said: "It’s unfortunate the way it has happened, but Melrose chose to go down that route and I am committed to Stew Mel now and won’t be turning my back on them."

Delighted to reprint the following, which appeared in the 'News' at the start of this month:

Strong Support At Inverleith (30/5/03)

No, my ear-bothering shouts of 'Come ON Stew Mel!' didn't loosen the rivets in the roof. No, the foundations of the stand weren't compromised by Riggers' victory leap at the end of the Accies game. And, no, it's unlikely that we'll need more seats to cope with all the extra fans attracted by our Division 2 status.

Basically, the scaffolding is there because it was decided that the stand was looking a bit shabby and deserved some TLC. Whatever next - a scoreboard with no holes in it, perhaps?

Young Gunners (3/6/03)

Congratulations to former Stew Mel regulars Andy Kelly and Matt Dey, who were awarded pro contracts with the Edinburgh Gunners last week. Here they are in their new strips and cheesiest grins:

Hmmm - wonder how much Bill Lothian would pay for our photo of Kelly plus thumb ....

Bill

Koli On Kall (9/6/03)

Here's the latest from Koli, as relayed to Allan Munro via email last week:

"Hello Allan and the guys.

"Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that I didn't make the (Tongan World Cup) squad; the good news is that I'm on standby, so that, if anyone gets injured in the front row, I'll get called in. So I've still got to keep up the hard work, because anything could happen before the World Cup preparation is finished. I'm feeling it a bit, but I'm going to keep on striving for my goal.

"I hope everyone is doing well and working hard. Thank you for all your support and thoughts - and remember, it's not over till it's over!

"Take care,

Big K"

Allan Munro has pulled together a highly professional brochure setting out the various corporate hospitality and sponsorship opportunities available for the coming season. The Gold, Silver and Bronze packages cost £1100, £750 and £500 respectively, with the Gold Package, for example, including

Tailored packages are also available, while organisations can also sponsor the Club on a one off basis by becoming Official Match Sponsor for the day. Sponsors and other friends of the Club can also book a limited number of lunch places for home games, with the £30 per head price tag including half a bottle of wine per person.

Lastly, for £150, you can sponsor the player of your choice for the coming season. The money will be used to help clothe the player for the season, and, in return, you'll get a credit in the programme and your very own Club tie. Alternatively, you can join the Stewart's Melville FP RFC Lunch Club, where your £150 will entitle you to up to 5 buffet lunches at home matches, programme accreditation and a Club tie.

For further details on these packages, or a copy of the brochure, mail Allan or give him a ring on 0131 552 3935. Please do your best to support the Club in whatever way you can.

SRU AGM (12/7/03)

In case you missed it, the SRU AGM at the end of June brought confirmation that professional players from Premiership Divisions 1 and 2 clubs would be permitted to return to their clubs when not on 'superteam' duty.

Riggers has confirmed that Stew Mel may well benefit as a result, with Burnsie likely to become available after the World Cup. Andy Kelly might also return to Inverleith, although I gather that the shortage of hookers in the Gunners squad might make him hard to get hold of. It remains to be seen whether Matt Dey would choose to return to the Lions or .... that club down the road.

Three Pros for the Lions (24/7/03)

Further to the above, the SRU have now confirmed the clubs to which the 90-plus Scottish professional players will be allocated. And I'm delighted to say that Riggers was, as usual, spot on, with Messrs Burns, Dey and Kelly all being assigned to Stew Mel.

Of the other teams in Premiership Division Two, three players were also assigned to Biggar, Dundee HSFP, Grangemouth, Haddington, Kirkcaldy, Murrayfield Wanderers and West. Jed, Kelso and Selkirk picked up four while Gala's five include Chris Paterson and Toony. Far be it from me to suggest any pro-Borders bias at the SRU, but ....

We can, at least, take consolation from the fact that only two pros will be eligible to play for one club at the same time, while the top pros are likely to be kept pretty busy with World Cup duties this year. It also remains to be seen whether our old mate Brendan Laney can really be arsed turning out for Wanderers ....

Bill

Player Movements (27/7/03)

Here's the current summary of players that have joined and left the club over the close season.

Players Joining

Players Returning

Players Out

Riggers

Fraser Nose When To Quit (7/8/03)

Bill Lothian ran a nice piece in his 'News' column last Wednesday to mark Fraser Pollock's retirement from playing:

News Update (13/9/03)

Due to work pressures, Jim Calder has had to resign as Vice President of the Club. Fraser Pollock has, I'm happy to say, agreed to step in as VP, and will formally assume that role with effect from next season. Watch this space for details of the transitional process that will ensue. Rumours that Tanqueray Gin are poised to step in as shirt sponsors when President Pollock assumes office are unconfirmed at this time ....

Application forms for the charity ball that Fi Burns is organising at Murrayfield on 8th November are now available at Inverleith - look for the plastic folder on the left of the door into the bar. See the Social page for more details of the top quality evening the Fi has lined up.

Sponsorship has been secured for eleven of this season's playing squad, at £150 a time. If you'd like to do your bit to help equip and transport the players, please contact Allan Munro via email or on 0131 552 3935.

Finally, our next club social event will be the Race Night on Saturday 18th October. Ticket details soon - but please mark that date in your diary now.

Riggers In The 'News' (21/10/03)

We've had a couple of nice bits of coverage in the 'Evening News' since our convincing victory over Kirkcaldy at the weekend. First, there was a superb colour photo of Fraser Deeming in action against the Fifers to accompany the traditional Monday roundup of the weekend's scores.

Then, in tonight's edition of the paper, Bill Lothian ran a lengthy interview with Riggers, with topics discussed including our promotion prospects for this season, this weekend's game with Gala, the increasing depth of our player pool, Woody's current run of form and Fraser Deeming's departure to Sandhurst in the New Year. All this accompanied by the above photo of Struan at full tilt.

I'll scan the clippings for you as soon as possible, but, in the meantime, here's a link to the interview on the 'News' website.

Conor Cadzow (5/11/03)

Cadz has asked me to pass this on:

"If you hadn't heard, Zoe gave birth to a beautiful 6.5 lb baby boy called Conor Fanagan Cadzow on 3rd November who is tragically no longer with us. We are incredibly proud of our new son, and would be delighted and grateful to see him feature on the club's News page.

"Thanks,

Andy"

Best wishes and condolences go out to Andy, Zoe and their families from all at the club.

Jed Mist? (10/11/03)

I started to hear the 'Twilight Zone' theme tune when I opened the Sports section of the 'Evening News' tonight. There, under a fairly unequivocal headline of 'Jed only hit by sour grapes, claims Stew-Mel's Rigby', was a story by Bill Lothian that suggested that we had 'provoked the Borderers' during our win at Riverside Park on Saturday.

Bill described how "The official Jed-Forest website desperately sought refuge in what it called the team's 'discipline in the face of some real povacation (sic)'."

Riggers is then quoted as saying, " Having considered what is being alleged I can't think of a single incident which merited that description and the atmosphere in the clubhouse afterwards was friendly."

Got that one right, Gordon - I'm sure that none of our supporters who made the trip to Jed will have seen anything untoward, with Dalgy's sin-binning being down to a technical offence. But did we miss some out-of-character thuggery from our generally pretty well behaved players?

All becomes clear when you check the Jed website - the allegation's there, all right, at the end of the appropriate match report on this page. But, if you read carefully, while the report is headed up 'Jed 22 - 29 Stew Mel', the allegation relates to the PL team that played the Jed SECOND XV on Saturday ....

In Mr Lothian's defence, he apparently phoned Riggers to discuss this at 8 am today, so he may have been woozily perusing the Jed website before he'd had his first coffee of the day. Still, maybe we'll see a wee retraction in the paper tomorrow?

Sick Boys (20/11/03)

It's been a while since Riggers donned his Statto hat to produce one of his fabled spreadsheets analysing the minutiae of the club, so I'm delighted to present the following for your delectation:

Stewart's Melville FP RFC Injured/Unavailable XV as at 8/11/03

Genius!

Raeburn's the place (21/11/03)

Just to get us in the mood for the Cup tie against Accies tomorrow, Bill Lothian ran a nice piece previewing the game in the 'Evening News' tonight. Here's the link - nice to see Shiely getting a word in before the inevitable (and strangely familiar) quote from that Manager chappy ....

Hats off to Bill for continuing to give the local club scene (and Stew/Mel in particular) such prominence in the paper.

Selling The Jersey (7/12/03)

The Dubbo Rhinos, a club from New South Wales in Australia, are currently holding a major online auction of rugby memorabilia to raise funds for one of their players, Wilson Te Whata, who was paralysed while training with the club in 1999. When we were emailed to ask if we could help them out, Allan Munro quickly indicated that we should send them down a spare 1st XV jersey for the auction.

The shirt's now being auctioned, and I'm happy to say that it's already attracted two bids and is sitting at a price of $20 with 7 days to go. If you'd like to pitch in to raise that price, here's the link.

The auction also includes an Eton Manor RFC club tie and book signed by Jonny Wilkinson and Clive Woodward. If you bid for those items, and win, I'll supply the scissors free of charge.

Black Tie, Red Meanies (8/12/03)

Even before our disappointing defeat in Kelso, last week was one of highs and lows for our esteemed President.

On Friday, he was at the Royal Museum on Chambers Street for the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame awards; while Al was accepting an award on behalf of our very own Finlay Calder, it can surely only (as Al so modestly pointed out on the bus to Kelso) be a matter of time before he follows Finlay into the Hall of Fame. And if you believe that ....

Congratulations to Finlay from all at the club for being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

So that was Al's high. And the non-rugby low? Well, as the graphic above indicates, our President recently fell foul of Edinburgh's littering laws, getting slapped with a £50 fine after a Red Meanie spotted him cramming yet another fag packet through the groaning drain cover outside his Leith office.

I'll bring you the outcome of the Vote Of No Confidence that's bound to follow this shameful offence as soon as I hear it.

Allan Munro's Christmas Message (26/12/03)

As we pause for a well earned breather before the last tranche of league games gets underway in January, our Executive Chairman has taken a look at the games we've played so far, the games we've yet to play, and, further ahead, at our prospects for season 2004/05.

You can read Allan's message here - here's hoping the two overseas gentlemen he specifically mentions agree to stay on board, as they're both having excellent seasons for us.

Enjoy the rest of the festive season!

Bill

Next Season Starts Here (19/2/04)

I am delighted to report that Paul Wharakura and Stephan de Beer, our two props, have re-signed for next season. Both players have enjoyed their time at the Club and plan to return home at the end of this season for a short holiday. They both agree with me that next season could see us achieve our goal of promotion to Premier One, and they want to be involved.

As well as Paul and Stephan, I anticipate that further signings will take place over the Summer months to strengthen the squad. Added to those signings will, hopefully, be another large intake of boys from the School. We recently had about 24 boys down to the Club for lunch and expect a large number of them to join us.

In order to prepare for next season, we have recruited former Scotland hooker Graham Ellis as Fitness Coach. Graham will be working with the squad over the Summer months with a view to improving their overall performance.

Allan Munro

New 1st XV Strip Revealed? (24/2/04)

Mercifully, that's not the case, as the bizarre Aussie Rules strip being modelled by Messrs MacColl, Bryson, Leathes, Pennie and Young in the photo below was chosen by the St Andrews Old Boy legends for their match against the current Uni 1st XV on Sunday.

The old crocks lost the match 31-19, although Ben and Graham both scored tries in the process. I'm also reliably informed that the Stew Mel contingent played a major role as the Old Boys got their revenge with a resounding victory in the after-match boat racing.

News Round Up (3/3/04)

First off, congratulations are due to a couple of our FPs who have regularly featured in the Glasgow Hawks squad that secured the BT Premiership title at Goldenacre - where better? - on Saturday. The men in question are Ally Maclay and Richie Maxton - you know where we are if you fancy a real challenge next season, lads!

Next in line for some serious back slapping is Jed Gordon, who has been called into the Scotland Under 19 squad to play an Italian U19 select at Centro Sportivo, Via Dei Campi Sportivi in Rome tomorrow then the Italian U19s at the same venue on Sunday. Jed has been called up to replace Ben Addison of Stirling County, who has had to stand down due to University commitments.

Rumours that Jed's call up came after Bill Lothian rashly quoted the nice things I said about our winger in his 'News' column on Monday remain unconfirmed at this time.

I also gather from speaking to an anonymous source (AKA His Mum) that Euan Clark has featured several times for Scottish Universities in recent weeks.

Last shout goes out to Matt Dey, who jinked his way to a try as Edinburgh Gunners defeated Leinster Lions 40-34 last Friday.

Well done to all of the above.

Switching to the social front, tickets for the Cockburns-fuelled apocalypse that is the Players' Dinner are now available from Black Al for £25. The Dinner takes place at Invers on Thursday 8th April. Best Club night of the year, easy - don't miss it.

Riggers has also resurrected the Club Golf Day that was cancelled in September. The revised tourney will be held at King's Acre near Lasswade on Sunday March 28th. Gordon is looking for 24 names on a first come, first served basis, with first tee time 12.30 pm. Cost will be roughly £28 for the gowf plus food on top of that. Phone or mail Riggers ASAP if you are interested.

Lastly, respect is due to whichever Buckfast-soaked Jakie put together the West match programme for Saturday. For Peter McLane, Stephen 'Yogi' Debear, Simon Cipaldi, Ewan Clark and (I jest not) Ross GRAVY .... we salute you, big man!

More News (9/3/04)

Riggers has kindly reminded me that the Stewart's Melville 1st XV are playing in the Scottish Schools Plate final at Myreside tomorrow (Wednesday) night. Kick off is 7.30 pm, with Glasgow Academy the opposition. This will be an excellent opportunity to watch some young players who will hopefully go on to star for the FPs before very much longer, with names like Alec Clark, David Warwick, David McCall, Struan Allan, Jamie Hood, Lewis Calder and Ross Samson all in the frame. So please try and make it up to Myreside to cheer on the boys if you can.

Moving forward to Sunday (14/3), the young Lions S1 side are playing Hawick in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup at Inverleith. Kick off is 1 pm, and John Campbell is keen to get as big a crowd as possible to cheer on the youngsters. So, again, please head along to HQ if you can.

Now, some more representative news. Jed Gordon scored a try as the Scotland U19s beat an Italian U19 select 29-15 in Rome on Thursday. Jed was then on the bench when the U19s beat their Italian counterparts 15-0 on Sunday.

Phil Hendry, Fraser Rankine and Andrew Davidson have been named in the Scotland U19 select to play Spain U18 at Meggetland tomorrow night, kick off 7.30 pm.

Lastly, Matt Dey has been named in the 49-strong Scotland squad that will meet for training at Stirling this week. This is Matt's first time in the squad, so it's a major honour - well done to him from all at the Club. And well done to Jed, Phil, Fraser and Andy, for that matter.

Having disposed of Hawick in the last round, the young Lions S1(Under 13) side are through to the final of the Scottish Cup, where they will face a strong Stirling County side. The final takes place on the main pitch at Murrayfield tomorrow (28/3) with kickoff at 12.30. The boys face a real challenge, and your support would be very much appreciated, so please try and make it along.

Click here for an interview with John Campbell and the team list from today's 'News'.

John has pointed out that, regardless of whether the young Lions come back with the trophy, the bar will be open at Invers from 5 pm tomorrow. You're welcome to join the Lions there after the game as they either toast their success or drown their sorrows.

Update (29/3/04)

The S1s defeated Stirling County 8-7 to lift the Cup yesterday. Congratulations to the team and all the parents and coaching staff for a fantastic achievement from all at the Senior club. Hope to see many of the S1s in action on Pitch 1 about five years from now!

Acc To The Future (30/5/04)

Eric Lindgren has passed on details of a mouthwatering game that's due to take place later this year. The teams concerned are the DSMC and Edinburgh Accies school 1st XVs from 1984; the Accies XV are apparently still smarting over being beaten by Stew Mel that year, and are looking for revenge in a rematch between the original teams!

The Stew Mel camp seem unclear as to why Accies still hold a grudge over what was apparently a meaningless game to us, although Accies also took losing to us in the final of the U20 Sevens at Goldenacre a couple of years later pretty badly. After a few beers, a rematch was arranged ....

Gav Maclean is (as he puts it) busy 'rounding up faded superstars', with the following players already confirmed for a Stew Mel squad 'bursting with talent and beer guts':

1. Jim McDougall
2. Fraser Crichton
3. Ewan Simpson
4. Gav Maclean
5. Keith Dobson
6. Alan Manson
7. Willie Murrie
8. Jamie Frost
9. Scott Dickson
10. David Thomson
11. Dave Barr
12. Eric Lindgren
13. Kenny Eccles ('5 mins playing time max ....')

It's hoped that the match will take place on the main pitch at Inverleith in September or October, the exact date to be decided once the school and FP 1st XV fixture lists for 2004/05 have been finalised.

More details to follow.

Bill

Lunch Club (6/6/04)

Our esteemed ex President Willie Crawford is trying to get as many club members as possible to sign up for the Lunch Club for next season.

This important source of revenue for the club lets you become a 'Friend of Stewart's Melville FP RFC', and, for £150, entitles you to up to five buffet lunches before home games during the season. These generally take place when a Match Sponsor is also entertaining guests to lunch in the clubhouse, and, needless to say, the food is to the high standard we've become used to at Inverleith. A few glasses of vino can also be arranged!

Willie has also pointed out that, as well as showing your support for the club, the Lunches are also a fine way to get to know your fellow Stew Mel supporters, while, by turning up early for the meal, you stand a fighting chance of securing an elusive car park spot!

If you'd like to sign up for the Lunch Club, please contact Willie on 0131 333 1273 or drop Allan Munro an email. Places in the Lunch Club are limited, so please get your application in as soon as possible.

Another brief roundup of some recent news items.

Firstly, congratulations to Ric Clark for putting Nosebag's gas at a peep by finishing the Edinburgh Marathon in a time of 5 hours 33 minutes. Here's a pic of Ric, looking surprisingly fresh at the finish despite his exertions. Yosser and Bert also survived their 70 Wild Miles, too, by the way - we now just need to know that Cadz survived his recent exertions in the name of charity.

Next up, a club member is currently selling his flat at 27 East Werberside, just round the corner from Inverleith and also ideally sited for the fantastic fleshpots of Stockbridge. You can view the ESPC listing here - click on the wee photo to view the Schedule. Please contact the selling solicitors (Connor Malcolm) direct if you are interested in what I know is a lovely flat.

Lastly, congrats are due to our old mate Ally Maclay, who made his U21 debut for Scotland against Italy at New Anniesland on Sunday. More details, plus a photo of Mr Munster, here.

What's In A Name? (1/7/04)

Many congratulations to Fraser and Suzanne Pollock on the birth of their son Finlay on Sunday. The wee man weighed in at 8 lbs 11 ounces, and, as you can see from the photo, already has more hair than his dad.

There's some confusion as to why the Pollocks chose that particular name for their son. Fraser claims the wee man was named after Finlay Calder, while a source close (OK, less close than he used to be) to the club has suggested that Frase's main concern was that he could pass his 'FIP' personalised number plate on to his son (middle name Ian, like his dad) in about 17 years' time ....

Bill

Cadz Checks In (5/7/04)

Having enquired as to his wellbeing after he ran the Edinburgh Marathon, was delighted to receive the following update from Andy Cadzow today:

"Guess you thought I was still finishing the marathon .... Anyway, had a great day, team's time was 3hrs 39min. Managed to clock a respectable 8 min/mile on last leg and can't remember my lungs and heart feeling so big! Photos on Edin marathon website, team 5081, as proof.

"Am now trying to get sponsors rounded up - would be great if they could send a cheque payable to Sands Lothian to me at:

Banchory Cottage
Pencaitland
EH34 5BD

"Thanks,

Cadz"

Embra At Invers (8/7/04)

Inverleith has been selected as the venue for the pre-season friendly between the Edinburgh Gunners and the Exeter Chiefs of English National Division One on Friday 13th August. Kickoff is 7 pm, with adult tickets at £5 and U18s free. Please try and make it along to the game, as a big turnout will hopefully encourage Edinburgh to make Invers a regular venue for their matches.

Black Al has asked me to point out that the Club are looking for members to act as stewards at the Exeter game. In return for your efforts, you'll get to watch the match for free, model a very fetching yellow tabard from the Lindsay Muir Summer collection and (who knows) maybe even enjoy a half time pie on the house. Please let David Ainslie know as soon as possible if you can help out.

Eric Lindgren has been in touch to say that a date has now been confirmed for the rematch between the DSMC and Edinburgh Accies school 1st XVs of 1984. The match will be played at Inverleith on Saturday 4th September, with kick off at 12.30. The current school 1st XV are playing Watson's at home that morning, kicking off at 10.30, so any parents heading along for that game may get a shock when they realise what their sons are going to look like 20 years from now ....

It appears that the veterans' game is being taken vaguely seriously, with (gasp!) a WARM UP due to take place an hour before kick off. Not only that, but it is rumoured that one of the Stew Mel team, now a PE teacher, is drawing up a couple of light training programs to get the squad into some kind of shape between now and September!

That squad is now composed as follows: Pete Stewart; Jim McDougall; Ewan Simpson; Gav Maclean; Keith Dobson; Alan Manson; Willie Murrie; Jamie Frost; Scott Dickson; David Thomson; Dave Barr; Eric Lindgren; Bobby Ballantyne; Stuart Roxburgh; Kenny Eccles; Ian Ross; George Shaw; Mark Adams; Brian Gordon; Gregor Howe; David Grant; Fraser Crichton; Alistair McLean.

Moving on, Danger has asked me to point out to you that the unofficial Stew Mel clubhouse that is Whighams Wine Cellars has recently reopened after a major refurbishment. I'll let Mr Rennie sum up the changes for you:

"I shed a tear last night as I entered what used to be my nirvana and was confronted by the aroma of new paint and varnish and, even more unsettlingly, light.

"It is worth a visit, but I am still very upset and already miss the real place where Dougie Wyllie first introduced me to a Bloody Mary. That cold, wet International Friday, after beating Preston Lodge under the lights at the 'Pans, has a lot to answer for in the following decade."

To end on a rugby note, congratulations are due to our old mate Richie Maxton, who is one of ten Hawks players named as part time backup members of the Glasgow squad for the forthcoming season.

Bill

Player Movements (11/8/04)

Here's the current summary of players that have joined and left the club over the close season.

Players Joining

Players Returning

Players Out

Best wishes to all those leaving the club for pastures new - in particular, big Clarkie's boots will be difficult to fill.

Colorado Tour Reunion (26/8/04)

This weekend not only sees our first league game of the new season, but also the reunion of the group of Stewart's Melville players who went on a pre-season tour to Colorado in 1994 and came home with the scalp of the USA Club Champions, Aspen.

The squad are meeting before the game at 2 pm at Inverleith on Saturday, so please feel free to come and join them for a drink. Amongst those coming down for the reunion are Dougie Wyllie, Julian Scott, Finlay Calder, Simon Scott, Graeme Burns, Murray Thomson, Andy Scott, Gavin MacLean, Scott Dickson, Fraser Pollock, Bill Faulds, Ben Gordon, Ross McNulty, Stewart Forsyth, Iain Burnside, Kevin Baird, Jason Clarke, David Thomson, John Heaphy, John Hughes, Nick Penny, Lindsay Ross, Ian McLeod, Bert Hutchinson and Kenny Milligan.

Unfortunately Ian Campbell, Carl Jamieson and Dave Clark are all out of the country on Saturday and can't make it down to Inverleith.

Ten years on, it appears that only four members of the tour party are still playing rugby. Nick Penny has, of course, made the transition from being a Winger in 1994 to a 2nd row in 2004 - how life has changed. Ben Gordon has also made a move of position in the 10 year period and is now loosehead prop with the amateur part of the Manchester Rugby Club. His old 2nd row partner, Bill Faulds, is still playing away at Falkirk, whilst Dave Clark is still trying to lead Bahrain to World Cup glory. Others still involved in Rugby are Finlay Calder, coaching the 2nd XV at Edinburgh Accies, and John Hughes, managing the 2nd XV at Stew/Mel.

So, if you fancy catching up with some of the old faces from the 1980s and early 1990s at the Club, see you at Inverleith on Saturday.

Riggers

Super Ally (1/9/04)

Riggers has asked me to pass on the following note from our old mate Ally Maclay, now well established in the Glasgow Hawks squad:

"Gordon,

"I'm looking for a bit of personal sponsorship for the coming season to aid me with kit, travel and so on. Could you perhaps ask anyone who might be interested to drop me an email and I will send them details and information about what they will receive in return.

"I hope the new season is a successful one for you and all at Stew Mel.

"Thanks,

Ally"

Please mail Ally direct if you are interested in helping him out - his address is allymaclayAThotmailDOTcom (replace bold text with relevant symbols).

Before Allan Munro huckles me, I must remind you that there's still time for you to sponsor one of our current squad for the new season. £150 will buy the player of your choice the kit that they need to do us proud on the pitch over the coming months. You'll get a Club tie and match programme accreditation in return. Please give Allan a call on 0131 552 3935 if you're interested in this or other sponsorship opportunities.

Riggers Roundup (16/10/04)

Gordon has been kind enough to pass on various snippets of information in recent weeks.

First off, he pointed out that no less than seven of the players involved in the Edinburgh Back Up squad game against a Newcastle Development XV on Monday night had Stew/Mel connections - Matt Dey, Jamie Blackwood, Andy Kelly, Ben Cairns (played for the Minis!), Steven Lawrie (School), Ross Rennie and Paul Wharakura. Edinburgh won the match 32-21.

Next up, here's his thoughts on our cup draw against Kilmarnock:

"I think the last time we were in Killie was a few years back. Just spoke to Fraser Pollock about it. We remember turning round at half time 28-3 down, having endured one of the poorest 40 minutes a Stew/Mel team ever produced. Coming off the pitch at full time having drawn 28-28 must rank as a better comeback than at Haddington this season! I think it also inspired us away from the foot of Premier 3, winning a couple of games afterwards and avoiding relegation to the National Leagues. The rest, as they say, is history.

"Always remember it as being a tough place to play, and I got a few stitches in the head there once. I remember that one of the Sponsors' guests was a cartoonist for one of the papers and he did a caricature of me with my head in bandages, stars coming out the head etc, and gave it to me after the game. Didn't come across it when I was moving house recently, though!"

Lastly, it looks as though today's game against Peebles could well be Gordon's 100th game as 1st XV Team Manager. Here's the maths he did a few weeks back:

"I'm not exactly sure, as I didn't keep stats during my first season as Team Manager. I took over around 14th October 2000. That leaves about 20 Saturdays for the rest of that season, including Cup games. I've done 77 since the start of 2001, which would mean 97 at the moment, roughly. That would mean Peebles at home on October 16th would be my 100th game - and I've never missed a game! Sad git ...."

I'm sure the self-confessed sad git would be more than delighted if you bought him a pint today to mark this significant landmark in an illustrious Stew/Mel career. Keep up the good work, Popo!

Just to put all this rugby nonsense into perspective for a second, I'm delighted to pass on the news that Andy and Zoe Cadzow had a wee boy, Ross, last Friday. Ross weighed a very respectable 8 lb 5 oz, and both he and his mum are doing fine.

You'll remember that Andy and Zoe tragically lost a son, Conor, last November, so Ross' safe arrival is especially good news.

Cadz has also asked me to pass on his belated thanks to everyone who sponsored him in this year's Edinburgh Marathon; he and his team mates managed to raise over £2000 for SANDS Lothian.

Best wishes to all the many members of Clan Cadzow from everybody at Stew Mel. Hope to see Ross and the family down at Inverleith soon.

Bill

Suits You, Sir! (6/11/04)

Capital Menswear, who sponsor the club and have also supplied our club blazers for the past four years, are offering Club members a 10% discount on all clothing. Please do your best to take them up on this generous offer - with Christmas looming, this is the ideal time to visit their shop:

Unit 1A
Meadowbank Retail Park
London Road
Edinburgh
EH7 5SU

You can also contact them by calling 0131 661 5353 or emailing them at capitalmenswearATtalk21DOTcom (replace bold text with appropriate symbols).

Allan Munro

Scotland U19s at Inverleith (26/12/04)

You wouldn't know it from the SRU's oddly patchy website, but Scotland U19s are playing their Italian counterparts at Inverleith this Wednesday, 29/12. Black Al reckons that there should be three or four players with Stew Mel credentials playing in the game, which kicks off at 2 pm.

Al has also asked me to put out a request for volunteers to help with stewarding on Wednesday, so, if you fancy blowing away the post-turkey cobwebs, please give him a ring (07764 692781). You would need to pitch up around 1 pm on the day.

It's obviously in the club's financial interests that we continue to be offered matches like this, so we need to present as professional an image as possible with regards to stewarding, tannoy announcements and so on. So please help out on Wednesday if you can.

Bill

A Word From Pa Crutchy (27/12/04)

Got the following from Riggers last week - some topical points to ponder over the Christmas break ...

"I have been following the team's results, your comments and the match photos since day one of the start of the season. What a great way to communicate results to those that are unable to assist with sideline support from afar.

"I was in the UK recently to attend my eldest son's wedding, so took the opportunity to head north to Edinburgh to watch the team play against a team at the bottom of the table (Kirkcaldy). What I saw was a home team that played with passion and fire and another team that had the talent but failed to fire. Stew Mel was lucky to manage a draw.

"Whatever was said after that game by coaching and management must have fired the boys up, judging by the results the team has achieved since.

"Great work to get back into second place - and a credit to the team. I was starting to think they had a masterly grip on second place and would achieve the dream of Stew Mel promotion to the First Division.

"Now I read about another team at the bottom of the table that has managed to topple Stew Mel (Murrayfield Wanderers). Whatever you gave them after the Kirkcaldy game - give them a double dose again.

"Maybe a rest over the next couple of weeks will allow them to refocus on their dream and get the top two inches working again. They deserve to be second - but that will not happen without the hard yards - hunt as a pack and take it to the opposition.

"Good luck, and I will watch for the results with bated breath.

"All the best for the Merry season.

"Cheers,

Owen McMurchy

Maungaturoto NZ"

HELP! (7/1/05)

There is no game for the 2s this Saturday, but next week we start a run of very important league matches.

Could all who are not in the 1sts this week and consider themselves part of the 2s (and/or 1s) squad – you know who you are, and this includes Dave Hourston and Scott McEwan – please contact me by text (07973 253234) or e-mail (john.hughesATconnormalcolmDOTcom) to confirm:

1. Availability to play next Saturday, 15 January at home to Hawick, kickoff 2 pm
2. Whether you will be training Tues and/or Thurs next week.

Sesh wants to do full team practice etc on each evening for 40 minutes or so to prepare fully for the Hawick match in the first instance.

There were only about eight non-firsts down at training last night, so please contact me as soon as possible and do your utmost to make both sessions next week. You will note from the 1st XV selection that there are still quite a few injuries around.

I will also be sending out texts, but this will be time consuming as, a few days ago, a well intentioned person, whilst trying to save the memory on my SIM card, erased it all. So, finally, if texting me, please add your name and, if emailing me, please confirm your mobile number. I know some mobile numbers have changed recently (e.g. Tubbs and Callum) and some in the Club records are wrong!

Avalanche of texts and emails eagerly awaited, together with full attendances next week!

Happy 2005.

Yosser

Players' Meeting On Thursday (14/3/05)

There will be a players' meeting at Inverleith this Thursday evening, 17th March, to start at 8.15 pm (i.e. after training).

The coaches and management have already met to discuss the plans for next season and our assault on Premier 1, and, since you are integral to making that successful, we would be obliged if you could attend the meeting.

There will be a number of topics to be covered, including the work Graham Ellis wishes to carry out and the plans for pre-season training (including possible weekend away),